Heritage Nebraska Hidden Treasures

Heritage Nebraska annually releases its list of Hidden Treasures. The purpose of this list is to celebrate Nebraska’s unique heritage through its built environment, culture and landscapes. It is important to showcase the lesser-known treasures of our state.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Located on the East Campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln was the first state and national testing facility when it started in 1920. Sixty years later, in 1980, it was designated as an Historic Landmark of Agricultural Engineering by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

Built in 1889, the 1,000-seat second floor auditorium was the largest west of Omaha. Performances included political debates, traveling theater acts, magicians and vaudeville. Old playbills and stage curtains with advertising of businesses from the past remain. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

This Victorian-era building was built in 1887 and was lauded as the finest hotel between Rapid City and Grand Island. It is located in a popular tourist and recreation area and owners see it as a model for heritage tourism. The building is under current renovation turning it into a lodging and reception event center.

Built in 1905, this was the home of Anna (Mrs. John) Pavelka, the character for whom Antonia was named in Willa Cather's "My Antonia." The house and the "fruit cave" mentioned in the book still exist on the property. The Nebraska State Historical Society owns the National Register of Historic Places –listed property.

The old Great Western Sugar Factory Dormitory in Mitchell, Nebraska was built in 1926. Of the several such dormitories built at sugar factories in the Nebraska Panhandle, this was the only one used to house German POWS during World War II. The dormitory later served as a boarding house and nursing home until 1995. New owners are developing it into a hostel, restaurant and health club.

The Oak Ballroom is a 1937 WPA project built of native oak trees and rock. The original dance hall is still in use. The structure rests in a park-like setting with lagoons dug by workers waiting for more lumber to arrive. Booths were put in place in the early 1950s and a new maple floor was installed in 1954.

The Meadow Grove Federal Credit Union is located in the old Security Bank which was built in 1905 and has remained in use as a financial institution since that time. When the bank closed in 1929, everything was left "as is" in the vault, which is where it remains today. The original vault and teller cages are still used.